SCOTTISH champions Rangers appear to have dropped their interest in signing Belgium striker Emile Mpenza after his club Schalke 04 failed to accept their bid of £6.5 million.

SCOTTISH champions Rangers appear to have dropped their interest in signing Belgium striker Emile Mpenza after his club Schalke 04 failed to accept their bid of £6.5 million.

Ibrox chairman David Murray gave the German club a deadline to report back with a final decision as to whether the player would be on his way to Scotland for the start of next season.

Mpenza impressed during Euro 2000 and has expressed an interest in joining Rangers and manager Dick Advocaat was keen to make him his latest big-money arrival. However, Schalke stalled, insisting the player was worth more than the bid on offer from Ibrox.

A Rangers spokesman said: "There's no news regarding the player and his club have been told the cut-off point was today so you can safely assume that's it as far as this transfer goes."

Rangers will be kept apart from Leeds in today's Champions League third qualifying round draw after both were confirmed as seeded teams. Rangers, however, must first remove Lithuania's Zalgiris Kaunas in their second qualifying round tie.

The former Scotland striker has named former Blackburn manager Don Mackay as director of football after liquidators KPMG announced Archibald was the preferred bidder.

St Johnstone have completed the signing of French trialist Mohamed Sylla on a three-year deal.Sella, 23, a former Le Havre and Le Mans defender, has won six 'A' caps for French Guyana and will cost St Johnstone nothing.

Premier League new boys St Mirren have agreed a two-year deal with defender Jamie McGowan. He has been on trial at Love Street after being released by Motherwell in the summer.

Hibernian's second tour game in Germany, against Karlsruhe in Pforzheim, descended into farce when the match officials failed to turn up. The game, which ended 1-1, was delayed for 20 minutes as a local amateur referee and two novice assistant referees were enlisted to preside over the game.